The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1887-05-21

tiful fleece of lustrous wool about ten
inches in length and weighing from eight
TO fifteen pounds. They are not popular
in this country, because they require too
much care to suit the ordinary farmrT
\ writer in the Country Gentleman had
two acres of pasture land literally Gov
cred with garlic. When it was fully
headed, but before the seeds were ma
ture, he moved it with scythe close
to the ground. al lowing the heads to lie
where they fell. This was last year: to-
day not single garlic plant can be found
in the space moved over. while il is
plenty everywhere else on the farm.
A correspondent gives very simple
and easily tried means of driving rats
from the premises, and which he says is
very effective TAX" coppcras, N" Guan-
tity to depend upon the number of build
ings or places infested; pulverize it very
fine, and sprinkle it in all the buildings
in fact, in every place where they have
been in the habit of frcquenting. In a
few days, according to the writer, all the
rats will be gone.
1t is the opinion of Sir J. b. I.awcs
whose opinions upon such matters are en-
titled to and receive much weight. that
the best time to cut grass, either for hay
or ensiage purposes. is when the majority
of grasses are in flower He thinks
nothing is gained by waiting longer, his
reason for such belief being that in the
case of most of the grasses the seed
formed is exceedingly light and the food
which it contains is exceedingly small.
Professor j. Hayes Panton, of the Ag-
ricultural College, of Ontario, suggests
remedies for potato rot, which we con-
dense as follows: Dig as soon as brown
spots appear. Put in cold. dry place af
ter digging. Grow early varieties. Burn
all affected stalks. Use only good seed.
Get seed from unaffected districts. Don't
plant in field in which rot occurred the
previous year. Avoid planting upon a
heavy clay soil, but prefer light and
dry one.
Although there is little material value
in coal ashes, they are well worth saving
for various uses. Thrown into the hen
house they make good bed for fowls to
roll in and free themselves from vermin.
They are also good absorbent to put in
privy vaults, and serve not only to pre-
vent offensive smells, but to put valuable
fertilizers into condition for use In the
summer dry coal ashes can be used with
paris green for destroying potato bugs
and injurious insects. Now is the time
/ to save the ashes dry.
! Ear.y lambs need close looking after if
! they are to be made to grow fast; let
! them have plenty of meal where they can
get it, and be away from the sheep. The
sheep must be well cared for and fed so
as to secure the largest amount of milk
possible. For early lambs, one lamb 10 Il
sheep is enough. 1t is important to have
good quarters, not too warm and tight.
but dry and plenty of room. Sheep and
lambs after few days old need fresh air
and sunshine: they will rarely suffer with
the cold if kept dry. 1t is "a mistake to
keep sheep in small, close house; even
in cold weather they naturally require ex
ercise in the open air, and should have it
in fair weather; but in stormy weather
they should be kept under cover where
there is plenty of room and pure air.